Cave Story+ Will Be Receiving Classic Graphics in a Free August Update

Yay! While I dig the updated graphics, I also kinda miss the old school pixel art ones. Probably won't look great on the HDTV but it should be fine in handheld mode. I really love all the options for the different musical arrangements from throughout the history of different releases and to have that for the graphics too is just peachy.

Never understood what people see in this game that makes them buy it multiple times? To me it was a decent cheap indie title that was worth a play through once .I'm pretty sure I completed it on Wii in one sitting. If I'd paid $30 for it it would be up there with my most regrettable purchases. People justifiably complain about USF2 being over priced but $30 for this is the biggest rip off on the Eshop.

I bought the retail version of this while I could get the Amazon discount but I don't have time to play it at the moment. I'm sure I'll get a chance at some point and from the reviews I've heard and its enduring legacy, I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

I'm loving this news.

Oh thank goodness. I was so confused by the decision to leave them out to begin with. Well, now that it has this and the co-op mode on the way, it seems like the Switch port of Cave Story may be the the definitive version.

@OorWullie I've had the same viewpoint. Like sure, it's a good indie gem, I even bought it a second time (DSi ware, so I could play it again on the go, but it was fairly cheap anyways). But this is not a $30 game, and I'm quite tired of it being rereleased on ever system ever until the end of time. If the developer is so eager to milk this cow any further, why not actually make a sequel? That or move on. Who's actually bought this 12 times or whatever?

I never really got the hype about this game either. Yes I did buy it for 3DS. The mechanics are good. But like most of the other millennial Indie games, the graphics were a significant downgrade from what I enjoyed a over a decade before. To me it's the embodiment of a good game in an incomplete package... pretty much my feelings on Indie games in general - great undeveloped, potential gone stagnant because of an incomplete tutelage one can find as being part of a larger talented team of professionals working for an established commercial studio.

So hearing that it will include further downgraded graphics has 0 appeal to me. It's funny... reading the headlines, I was kinda hoping "classic" meant an UPGRADE to 16 bit graphics! LOL! But no...

I agree with others here, while the game is a masterpiece $30 in 2017 it just doesn't hit the right price point. If it was $10 (Mighty Gunvolt Burst pricing) it'd be priced perfectly and I'd likely pick it up just to enjoy it once again.

Where can I buy the soundtrack? The remastered one? Or even just the remastered version of the opening title screen??? can't seem to find that.

@OorWullie they did add a bunch of stuff and the physical version comes with some nifty things.

@speedracer216 it comes with the physical version on mini disc

@ShadJV cave story has actually been released on fewer platforms than shovel knight

"So for those of you that just have to play the game in its original format and can’t be bothered to download it for PC, this one’s for you."

I have this game on PC, and it doesn't have the lighting effects, widescreen support, or music option from the Switch version. Kinda wish Nicalis would fix that, but they haven't really touched it since adding the Machine Gun Challenge. That was years ago.

I cannot justify the cost of this version. Maybe one day if it's on an extreme sale

@faint Shovel Knight is only a few years old, releasing on more systems simply because it's cross-platform on all major consoles and handhelds in the last few years. Cave Story, meanwhile, was first released in 2004 and, outside of computer released and a single PSP release, has been released on Wii, DSi, 3DS (TWICE), and Switch (add in Wii U by technicality because Wii U owners can purchase it as well and that would make it every Nintendo system and handheld since Wii) - multi platform is one thing, as generally there are vastly different markets between Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, and Steam, but they have dipped into the Nintendo market 5 times with the same game in 13 years. Not to mention it's a game you can legally download for free on computer and they expect people to spend $30 on a version for Switch. It was excessive enough when three versions of it (DSi and the two 3DS versions) were available on the 3DS (I mean, it was already on the 3DS eShop as are all DSi games), but I'd argue it's been milked way more than Shovel Knight, which once again has focused on all platforms and not simply tried to sell the same game repeatedly for almost a decade and a half with a few new bells or whistles each time.

I've got it on Steam and a DRM-free version from Humble Bundle that works on Linux (AND the soundtrack), so I'm good. If I want to play it on the go, I'll get my 3DS and play the DSiWare version.

Never played it. Want to play it. Switch is the best format for me. So just bring it to Europe already!

Why are there spermcells in the air in that picture?

@OorWullie I can maybe help you understand.... I have cave story 3d on 3ds and I've bought a hard copy for my Switch... It makes me so happy to play this definitive version that looks, sounds and plays utterly beautifully. I'm totally looking forward to the 2 player co-op. Last night I was playing cave story on the hull of my boat using a 5 ft screen pico projector and my Switch. fabulous! Also, lovely to own this copy with the soundtrack cd and Illustrated game manual. yay! Thank you Nicalis!
Does that help you understand?

@OorWullie difference being USFII is a Frankenstein of a SF game. If Nintendo had offered even an arcade-perfect port of SFII, that would have been better than what we've got.

@speedracer216 retail first print has mini cd in it

The multiplayer option sounds good.

Looking forward to that more than a graphics option.

That's a nice addition to go with all the options available with the soundtrack, like some of the others here I'm more excited for the multiplayer update though. I think I should've waited for the EU version but I imported on the cheap anyway from Amazon as I wasn't sure if ours would come with the cd or manual.

Cave Story for 1200 Wii Points was a pretty good deal.
But from the hype surrounding it I hoped for more than a relatively short 10 hour story (if you wanted to beat everything 100% in one sitting, which btw, is not possible: multiple replays are required to unlock everything).

I would revisit it with all the new options, as the gameplay and world design was pretty good, at least in the WiiWare version I have, it's very SNESsy. The music is my personal highlight of the game. The game is just cramped with so many good tunes. Like La-Mulana, Axiom Verge, and Shovel Knight, Cave Story is a prime example of a modern 16-bit-like game that was made with years of care.

That was one of the key things I saw most people saying they were bummed about with the Switch port. So good on them, they clearly listened. Hopefully other companies take note of that concept.

I want an option to have the original translation in. Balrog yelling "Huzzah!" instead of ripping off the kool aid man, and Jenka's 4th dog that says boop https://68.media.tumblr.com/adc0ceb29b345addd264f1d231ef44f8/tumblr_o8pynsMTSx1uoh0afo1_400.gif

I really like the Wii version, so I might import the US Switch version.

@OorWullie, @ShadJV

I'm with you there. While I think it's a good game, I've always found it overrated and NEVER understood what people see in this game that makes them buy it again for Switch. Assuming of course they played it on Wii, DSi or PC. I imagine some of its sales are newcomers who never experienced it but otherwise... Meh. Not to mention I vastly prefer Super Metroid for my cave sploring needs.

Also as far as bringing Shovel Knight into this, I'd say Shovel Knight is infinitely better anyway. The only people who keep buying this ancient game are probably the really hardcore fans. Y'know, the ones who act like it's the single greatest game ever made.

I've ordered this for next week as a birthday present to myself - so I could justify the price splurge.

I assume I'll need to create an American Switch account so I can take advantage of the updates re co-op and original graphics? I'm in the UK.

Someone let me know when this is $14.99 or less... I've never gotten around to downloading it.

Or maybe when I decide it's time to buy a Switch and there are none available, I will get Cave Story on my 3DS for $9.99 and play it on that.

Played this back in 2008 while it was still a freeware game. Glad I waited to buy a paid version of in now when it has all the goodies with it, though I'm scared to put the cd in any player.

I agree with all the naysayers. It was a fun game....in the 3DS launch window. I have my physical copy. I enjoyed it. I don't really need to go back to it. It doesn't do much lots of other indie games don't do. That's not that it's a bad game at all, but I don't see the infinite hype on it.

@AcesHigh Its an unpopular opinion for some unknown reason these days, but I do agree with your view on indies overall. There ARE some very sold gems of games from the world of indies...Minecraft emerged as an indie originally and became one of the biggest names in gaming and bought as a 1st party, Shantae, playing through it now for the first time, top notch (but does WayForward really count as an indie?!) Same for Sumo with Snake Pass. It's one of the few companies to make a Sonic game that doesn't suck...hard to call them an indie. Thumper is indie, and a beauty of an arcade machine box. But by and large, I do actually agree. (Though I seem to be the only person on this site that doesn't like Gunvolt Burst at all FWIW. I suspect it's a game that plays differently depending on if you were a Mega Man fan in the day or not The official review scored it higher than Shantae.....which makes zero sense to me at all.)

I'm playing it at the moment in between watching some StarCraft 2 tournaments. I love it so far.

Somehow I never played this game all these years. When it was announced Steamworld Dig 2 will be delayed I wondered what I'd play for the rest of summer. I'm not getting Splatoon 2 since I don't have internet at home. I decided to give Cave Story a try. While I'm happy with it, its a game that looks like it belongs on Super Nintendo. Most of the indie games seem to be like this, which is why I won't be buying many.

Once fall comes, there won't be a shortage of games for me to play since quite a few will be coming out. Can't wait.

@ShadJV I think it's more of nicalis wanting to milk Cave Story rather than Pixel (the developer). He's made other games since Cave Story. I would urge you to check out Kero Blaster on PC as well as Pink Hour

@NEStalgia Yes, I agree with you 100%. There have been a few ground-breaking Indie games. Minecraft was most definitely one of them. But it's hard for me to call out other groundbreaking games by Indies as being genre-defining the way Mario, Streetfighter, Doom, Zelda, Final Fantasy, Madden, Resident Evil, etc. have.

Yeah, it would be hard for me to categorize a developer like Wayforward as indie. They are a studio that have a collection of talent in many different disciplines working on games that are funded by larger studios that commission their work. Like Contra 4 for the DS. Even Shante was publishd by Capcom for the GBC. You can say that they are Independent in terms of the fact that they aren't a 1st party or major 3rd party. But they are growing and their business scales to the work that is commissioned or published (meaning they do not share sole financial responsibility for distribution - which does not make them 100% independent) by others. This current outing of Shante is an exception and of very high quality. But I actually see that effort as their continual steps forward in becoming a 3rd party studio that, while they may still call themselves independent, doesn't make them much different than the other 3rd party studios out there.

I'm really talking about the 1 to 2 people teams making the incredible amounts of shovel-ware on places like STEAM, the Wii and other places. I have over 300 games on Steam. Probably less than 5% I've played (or will play) more than once. I do like to give them a try but for the most part, I'm disappointed, unsurprisingly to myself. But like I said, I gave a great many a shot.

I think gamers who actually grew up in the Atari 2600, 8Bit and 16 bit and even 32 bit eras, see game quality different than gamers growing up in the XBOX / PS2 or > era where Indie gaming started to flourish. I even remember when the 1st commercial PS1 dev kit was marketed to "Independent Game Developers", I shuddered then thinking of all the sub-standard product potentially flooding the market. Any way, I think (my opinion) that classic gamers knew what it was like to compare the color pallets, MHz, processors and # of sprites of 16bit rivals when the systems first came out. They knew what it was to look for the smallest differences in pixels between the SNES and Genesis to be able to declare one to be
"higher quality" over the other (and thus their favorite!). And they knew what it was like to go to the arcade to play their favorite game and wait impatiently for it to come to their home console, hoping that not too much will be lost in translation. And most importantly, they knew what it was like to pay $49 for a game... so it better be damn good!! Playing these games in retrospect now is definitely not the same as playing them back in the day without all of those factors above enhancing the total experience.

Now, we can pay $10 or even less for an Indie game. And the entry cost for a sub-par experience is not too high for the risk. Gamers who grew up gaming in the Indie-millennial era maybe didn't have that same "quality" cost vs. benefit radar built in. I don't know. I could be spouting BS. But I can definitely say that I certainly don't look at games the same as younger gamers today.

@SanderEvers Yes, I understand the "classic" graphics will be optional. In fact, I jokingly mentioned that I hoped "classic" was an upgrade to what I would consider classic = "16bit". My overall comment was that the option was underwhelming. To me, even their newer, updated graphics fell short of what I would consider good 26 years ago. So offering an option of even worse graphics didn't do much for me. And I never said "all" indie games, I said "most". I also didn't say they were unfinished. I said that I felt the "package was incomplete". There is a difference. Unfinished means broken and unplayable. An incomplete package is a level of polish or inclusion that could have been but never was. A missed opportunity for a greater thing.

I respect your opinion. I'm glad you enjoy indie games. There are few out there that I agree are really good too! We just share different opinions on the types of games we like.

I like Cave story well enough but I should have done more research...I thought we were getting Cave Story 3D. Not feeling the artstyle at all.

Maybe they should update an entire sequel into it to justify the price. I just can't buy it. It was originally free of all things.

@OorWullie I havent actually played all the way through it. I feel you on price, though. I bought this on Steam instead of Switch, since it was ten bucks in the summer sale.

Seriously, make a sequel already!